Modi kept mum as SC/ST act was diluted, says Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi kept up the attack on the government on Tuesday, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of keeping mum on atrocities against Dalits and alleged weakening of a law meant to protect scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs).
Gandhi’s comments came one a day the Supreme Court began hearing the government’s petition, asking the court to review its March 20 order that banned immediate arrests under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Protests against the order left nine people dead on Monday.
“Atrocities on Dalits and adivasis are increasing and the SC/ST act is diluted but even then Modi didn’t utter a single word,” the Congress leader said at poll a rally in Shivamogga city.
The Congress and other opposition parties are looking to corner the BJP over the issue, with several state elections lined up this year and the big one, the Lok Sabha poll, in 2019.
Karnataka, one of the three states where the Congress is in power, votes on May 12. Dalits account for 16% of the state’s population. Gandhi also tried to make a poll issue of his BJP counterpart, Amit Shah’s, gaffe last week when he called the BS Yeddyurappa government the most corrupt in the country during a
BENGALURU:
press conference, a criticism aimed at chief minister Siddaramaiah. Yeddyurappa is the BJP’s CM candidate.
“I am definitely happy that for the first time the BJP has spoken the truth. They spoke from the heart for the first time. Amit Shah said Yeddyurappa’s government was the most corrupt government...” Gandhi said.
Shah had corrected himself immediately and even later had said he might have erred but the people wouldn’t and they would vote the BJP in.
Gandhi also attacked the PM over the leak of CBSE question papers. Modi had written a book advising children on tackling exam stress but failed to prevent the leak, Gandhi said referring to Exam Warriors.
“It seems the RSS has taught Modi that he should stress more on giving lectures. The RSS has taught him to stand, hold stick, wear knickers and speak lies. I think the Prime Minister is now realising that the nation cannot be run with hatred, lathi, speeches and false promises,” he said. The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh is the ideological parent of his party, the BJP.
Karnataka BJP spokesperson S Prakash said Gandhi was trying to make too much of Shah’s slip-up. “It was just a slip of the tongue and it is immature of Gandhi to make a big issue out of it ,” he said. Accusing Gandhi’s of politicising the paper leak, Prakash said, “He (Gandhi) should look at the previous times when the question papers ...”